1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gaming apparatus, single and group play gaming apparatus, slot gaming apparatus, or video gaming apparatus and such gaming apparatus associated with associated apparatus that supports additional game content, including bonus events and bonus payouts to one or more players.
2. Background of the Art
Gaming devices typically include an array of mechanical elements on which wagers can be placed. The most common gaming device is the slot machine. This is a device that allows wagers to be entered in a mechanical or electromechanical machine, and the machine generates a random or pseudo-random outcome producing, for example, sets of symbols. These sets of symbols are usually displayed in columns and rows. Predetermined sets or collections or sequences of the symbols within the columns or rows are defined as winning outcomes, and other sets are therefore losing outcomes. Originally slot machines were mechanical devices employing 3 physical reels with various symbols displayed on the reels. After placing a wager, the reels were put into motion and randomly stopped. Wagers were paid depending upon the outcome of the types and positions of symbols.
Gaming machines, such as the standard slot machines have evolved, particularly with the advent of computer technology, which has enabled far greater variety in game play and additional features. Most present day machines are processor driven and have video display monitors. The processor based systems allow for not only a better visual appearance, but significant variation in the underlying games, the ordering of play lines, side bet games, bonus games, and complex wagers and games that are automatically processed. Rather than the earliest three-reel slot machines with a single pay line, a single machine may play one hundred (100) or more games at a single time, and even have multiple games with 10, 20 30 or more separate pay lines.
Typical random frame symbol video slots have, for example, three rows and five columns of available frames within which symbols are randomly provided. The pay lines may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal or non-liner (e.g., zig-zag) and random symbols of special types may be used for what is known as a scatter pay, where the appearance of a certain number of symbols anywhere on the screen is determined to be a winning event.
Second screen, top box, bonus and other special features have become desirable to add variety and the potential for larger awards to the game. The addition of progressive jackpots, in which a portion of a wager from one or more machines builds up in a pot or jackpot, and that jackpot is awarded on an infrequent event, have also become popular. The use of the computer, processor, interconnectivity and video displays have greatly advanced the use of such systems.
Lower denomination games (e.g., $0.01 unit wagers, $0.05 unit wagers) have become very popular. By providing large numbers of pay lines and large numbers (e.g., up to 100.times. units per pay line), significant revenue can still be generated from small denomination unit wagers.
Although the term reel mapping refers to the distribution and proportions and frequency of images on physical reels, electronic systems perform a similar function to provide random outcomes from the virtual or video reels. This can be done by random number generators, which can be weighted to vary the probabilistic frequency of individual symbols. For example, if there are twelve different symbols that can theoretically be possible on a single column (a single virtual reel), the random number generator may have 1000 available numbers that are randomly selected. Symbol 1 may have 250 out of the 1000 numbers, and therefore have a probability of occurrence of 250/1000. That symbol would likely be a low value or likely losing symbol or a blank space. Symbol 2 might have 150 numbers assigned to that symbol, so that it would appear 150/1000 spins. That symbol would also likely have a low potential value in gaming outcomes, such as a lemon in traditional slot symbol events. Symbol 3 also might have 150 numbers assigned to that symbol, so that it would appear 150/1000 spins. That symbol would also likely have a low potential value in gaming outcomes, such as a plum in traditional slot symbol events. This distribution has already used up more than half of the available numbers from the random number generator (550/1000). More valuable or potentially valuable symbols will have fewer numbers assigned to them, so that the random number generator will select those more valuable symbols less frequently on a long term event basis. Each reel may be separately weighted. For example, a maximum jackpot symbol that requires five matching symbols in a horizontal row may be weighted so that there are 4/1000 numbers assigned in the first column, 3/1000 numbers in the second column 8/1000 numbers in the third column, 20/1000 in the fourth column, and 1/1000 in the fifth column. If the same numbers were assigned to each symbol in each column, there would be less control over the frequency of the final output.
The term “reel” as traditionally referencing a physical reel in a slot machine, is still a convenient term to reference event outcomes, whether the reel event outcomes being referred to are individual frame outcomes (e.g., a single symbol), individual column outcomes (e.g., the locus of frames that would normally appear on a single physical reel) o, column outcomes (where adjacent reel symbols are sequential and horizontal or game outcomes where all available symbol-holding positions have symbols or blank spaces assigned to them.
Bonus events may take many different forms. The bonus events may be triggered or randomly occur. Bonuses may be separate games, increased awards on games similar to the underlying game being played, selection games (e.g., pick and reveal), or random event outcomes run by the processor.
Published U.S. Patent Application Document No. 20070026924 (which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/702,305 filed on Jul. 23, 2005) describes a gaming device comprising: at least one symbol display that includes at least one award symbols, said award symbol associated with at least one award; a plurality of prize indicators, wherein each has an associated number of awards needed to access said prize indicator, and each of said prize indicators includes at least one prize; a processor operable with said symbol display to generate the award symbols and to enable the player to selectively access at least one prize. Many different variations and alternatives are described therein relating to bonus games.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,784,186; 8,251,799; 8,075,391; and 8,475,263 (Rommerdahl) discloses a game and method for a game including a perceived skill component comprising a skill-based award and a supplemental award that, when summed, are equal in value to a predetermined award. An image of popping balloons is shown as game results.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,103 (Bansemer) provides a gaming device, wherein a player's skill at an action or event determines the player's success or failure in the round. The game is readily adaptable to becoming a pseudo-skill game that would be required in most gaming jurisdictions. In one pseudo-skill embodiment, the skill game is converted to a game employing skill, but which is controlled by a set number of successful outcomes. That is, the player keeps playing until the player's skill produces the set number of successful outcomes. In another pseudo-skill embodiment, the game only appears to the player as involving skill. Instead, the gaming device randomly determines when and how many times to produce a successful outcome and increase the player's award. Bottles are virtually broken as indication of psuedo-skill outcomes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,764,541 and 8,764,538 enable a secondary player to make a bet that pays based on aggregate data from multiple games of primary players. Bottles of wine may be delivered to players at gaming machines as an award.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,690,660 and 8,430,737 (Saunders) enables a gaming system including a cascading symbol game which utilizes a plurality of adjacent symbol display position grids arranged at different depths. The multiple symbol display position grids at different depths provides that one or more of the symbols of at least a first symbol display position grid at a first depth are displayed to a player while one or more of the symbols of at least a second symbol display position grid at a second depth are not displayed to the player. When one or more symbols are removed from the first symbol display position grid at the first depth, before and/or after shifting the remaining displayed symbols from the first symbol display position grid into created empty symbol display positions of the first symbol display position grid, one or more symbols from the second symbol display position grid at the second depth become exposed. The game includes a non-functional balloon symbol which inflates more each time the designated symbol is included in a winning symbol combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,747 (Arezina) describes a multi-player gaming system sensing multiple simultaneous contacts on a surface of a gaming table, differentiating contacts by different players. Privacy controls selectively display private information visible to only one of the players on or near the display surface of the gaming table. The gaming system also detects physical objects placed on the surface of the gaming table, causing wagering game functions or peripheral functions to be performed as a result of the placement of the object on the display surface. A virtual spinning bottle is used as a pointing device.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,892 (Henry) describes a control system for a water amusement system. The control system is configured to operate the water amusement system to produce water effects, sound effects, and/or light effects when the control system receives an activation signal. The activation signal may be sent to the control system by an activation point, such as an optical touch button, or a water target. The control system is further configured to produce water effects, sound effects, and/or light effects in the absence of an activation signal to attract participants to the water amusement system.
Additional game technology with functional mechanical elements and additional game play and/or bonus features are desirable to maintain interest in electromechanical gaming apparatus.